This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Salt Lake City Council members blasted plans to install a fence and close a midblock crossing between a downtown homeless shelter and The Gateway mall, saying they are "surprised and alarmed" about the project in a four-page letter sent Tuesday to Mayor Jackie Biskupski and the CEO of Utah Transit Authority.
"This could create a perceptual division in our city, as well as a physical one," read the note, signed by all seven members of the council.
City administration and UTA officials have insisted the plan to put up a blocklong 5-foot-tall chain-link fence bordering the TRAX line is about safety. It would close the midblock pedestrian crossing of 200 South along Rio Grande Street — which connects The Road Home and the mall — directing people to cross instead at the lighted intersections of 400 West or 500 West.
That will reduce jaywalking in a major transit corridor, said city spokesman Matthew Rojas.
"This is not a policy shift. This is a unique situation anyone driving down 200 South can see," he said. "You have a large amount of individuals, some of whom are inebriated. You have heavy bus traffic, heavy train traffic."
The council, though, suggests that before the city agreed to close the crosswalk — as well as pay "minimal costs" to remove striping and signs along the street — there should have been a public process with "robust involvement and engagement of city residents and other stakeholders."
The body requests that the mayor and UTA provide "a comprehensive explanation about the proposal and the situation it is meant to address" before construction begins. The fence was expected to be completed by the end of March, though it's now unclear when work will start.
"While what may appear to be the mundane closure of a crosswalk is an administrative issue, we strongly believe it is one that clearly affects public policy and city residents' ability to freely use the public right-of-way," the letter says.
Rojas said the mayor and city administration moved forward on the project because it didn't "want to wait for a serious accident to take action when there are things we can do right now."
"This is an administrative function," he said. "The day-to-day running of the city is done through the administration. This is an example of that."
The Gateway's owner, Vestar, contacted the city late last year to request the project, according to a series of emails between company employees and the administration, first reported by KUTV-Channel 2 and shared with The Tribune. The exchanges indicate that the city would pay up to $15,000 for its share in the project.
UTA has estimated its cost for installing the vinyl-coated translucent fence at $42,000, though emails indicated it could be as high as $54,000.
UTA documents obtained by The Tribune through an open-records request show that the 200 South Old Greektown station is not the most dangerous spot for near-collisions with pedestrians and UTA trains. It had three emergency-braking incidents — fewer than at five other stations, none of which have listed safety improvements planned. Gallivan Plaza on Main Street had eight such braking incidents.
City Councilman Derek Kitchen has cautiously criticized the plan to close the midblock crosswalk and called for data to justify the decision. Kitchen sent a letter to Biskupski on March 17, which Rojas said the mayor promptly replied to.
Biskupski also met with Councilman Andrew Johnston earlier this week to discuss concerns, Rojas added. The mayor has been "letting the council members know she's willing to sit down and speak with them about this issue at any time," he said.
Still, the letter from the council says the plan contradicts city planning policy, which encourages midblock crossings.
"The people and leaders of Salt Lake City have long sought to remove barriers in our community," the members wrote. "We don't want to unwittingly build one that doesn't serve a clear public purpose."
Twitter: @CourtneyLTanner